Unconventional Love
by dramaq
Summary: Matt is angry and Mello doesn't know why. Unbenowest to Mello, Matt and Near have had a little talk about life and love. O.O And Near tells Matt he... *gasp!* You'll just have to read to find out! Contains hints of MxM.


**AN: Meh. I'm not too satisfied with this. I got the idea about a month or so and wrote the begining, then I just kinda... forgot about it. But I'm no quitter! So I plugged through to the end, and this is what came of it! My intentions may be confusing in this, so let me explain. The 'WTF' reaction is to be expected. This fic was born of me thinking "well L has Light and Mello has Matt and Near has... O.O" I broached the subject with a serious air that's meant to make the result appear more ridiculous and humorous (I hope). Let me no how I did!**

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"That fucking traitor!" Mello screeched, storming into his room. The fact that the door didn't splinter truly attested to it's durability as it was violently slammed closed. Unfortunately, the rest of the room was not as Mello-proof. The bedpost, several sections of the wall, the desk, a floor-lamp, and various other assorted items were all casualties of the blonde's most recent rampage.

When he had finally tired himself out, he collapsed into his bed with an exasperated moan, gingerly cradling his throbbing fist.

"That fucking traitor," he once again muttered the phrase that had become a mantra into his pillow. Although he'd never admit it, not even to himself, unleashing his fury on the inanimate objects of his room didn't truly make him feel much better. The cold, biting feeling of betrayal continued to tortuously twist in his chest like a rusty nail.

"How could he?" he whimpered, flopping onto his back to glare accusingly at the innocent ceiling. Try as hard as he may, Mello could not force the image of a particular nerdy, striped gamer out of his head. Matt. _His_ Matt was angry at him. Calm, laid-back Matt was _pissed_ at him, and not for something remotely reasonable either.

When Mello yelled at him, he shrugged his shoulders.

When Mello insulted him, he either playfully agreed or laughed.

When Mello broke his gameboy, he had almost cried in grief, but he was far from angry.

When Mello had locked him out of their room one night, forcing him to sleep in the hall, he was simply grateful to be let back in.

But when Mello had decided to kidnap Near's stupid little transformer, the redhead had exploded!

...Near. His rival and sworn enemy, And Matt... _his_ Matt had defended the little freak!

"Chocolate," he mumbled, franticly groping for his preferred drug.

As the sweet, comforting confectionary slid down his throat, Mello began to feel a little better. A little. Slightly more logical at the very least.

"But I don't see how what I did was so bad!" he growled at the decimated bar of chocolate. He curled his lip and unleashed a malevolent glare when it failed to respond, and rapidly tore off a chunk.

'That should shut it up,' Mello thought proudly, refusing to acknowledge that the poor candy had done just that.

_Stupid Matt. Fucking Near. It wasn't that bad..._

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Earlier that day- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_Taptaptap_

"Fuck off, Mello!" Matt called his typical greeting to his best friend. After a moment of unexpected silence, he glanced up from his DS, puzzled by the lack of an equally vulgar and insulting response. "Mello?"

Matt nearly lost his game in shock when a small puff of hair and two dark marble eyes squeezed past the cracked open-door of his and Mello's room.

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Near mumbled. "May I come in?

"S-sure."

The small boy shuffled further into the room before crumpling to the carpet in a rehearsed and disturbingly graceful movement.

"So," Matt switched off his game, intrigued by his unexpected guest. "What's up?"

"As you must have observed, I do not have many friends. Because of this, you are the closest person to me that does not express irrational hatred towards me. Are you comfortable with this revelation?"

"Okay?" Matt gazed curiously at the younger boy, slightly unsettled from the personal discloser from the usually aloof and secluded genius.

"Do you mind if I confide in you?"

"Of course," Matt answered impulsively, astounded by the prospect of a 'heart to heart' with Near. Near... the apathetic orphan who also happened to be Mello's rival. "Wait..." Matt's eyes snapped towards the slightly ajar door.

"Don't worry, Matt. Mello is occupied at detention at the moment. He will not disturb us."

Matt breathed a sigh of relief and sat on the edge of his bed. "So, what did you want to tell me?"

"Matt..." Near's glossy eyes wandered to the floor. "Have you ever felt affection before?"

"Sure, Near." Matt shrugged with feigned nonchalance, determinedly ignoring the images of chocolate and blonde that flooded his mind.

"I believe I may be feeling affection."

"Well... uh... that's good I guess," Matt toyed with the ends of his striped sleeves awkwardly. "How does the.. er... object of your affections respond?"

"There's no response, but that does not negate my affections."

"I'm sorry, Near," Matt wagged his head, "but how do you even _know_ you like someone?"

"It must seem odd," Near's whispered voice mused. "I am aware I appear to be rather... heartless, and for a long time I myself believed myself to be void of emotion. But... that's why the sudden flood of emotion was all the more shocking and immediately apparent. If something were to separate us... I would be in great distress." Near's pallid mask twitched slightly before hardening into blank apathy.

"Near... Why are you telling me this?"

"Do you understand, Matt?" Near's voice rose, colored by desperation. "Please tell me you understand these feelings."

"...Yeah," Matt muttered, deviating his eyes away from the emotionally disheveled Near. "I do know what it's like to feel... love... for someone that doesn't return your feelings, or even know..."

"Imagine how it would feel to lose that person," Near whispered.

Matt clenched his fists, willing away the illusion of agony that strangled his heart.

"Imagine now, that it was someone's fault. There was someone you could justly blame for the loss of the one you loved."

"Oh, God," Matt tore his fingers through his tangled hair. "That would be even worse. I can't believe that happened to you Near. That's... that's terrible."

Near nodded solemnly and pulled on the silver strand of hair wound and twisted around his finger. In contrast to Near's usually void expression and empty apathy, the white haired boy was visibly miserable.

"Is there something I can do?" Matt ventured, desperate to cure the fragile child of his affliction.

"Actually..." Near fixed his wide jet eyes on the older boy. "There is. Mello did it."

"Mello?" Matt whispered. "_Mello_," he repeated, horror and rage coloring his tone.

"He-he..."

"What did he _do_, Near? I swear I'll kill him!"

"He took my robot. And-and he won't give it back."

Matt's frantic glare softened, struck by the unexpected twist of events. "Your robot," Matt repeated. "Do you... do you love it?"

"Very much so. I love him."

That was all it took for Matt's resolve to harden. Hearing Near say those words... _I love him_. The very words Matt himself had yet to find the courage to utter.

"I'll go talk to him," Matt nodded. He sprung up from his bed and marched gallantly towards the door.

"Thank you," Near whispered.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -Back With Mello- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

"It's only a stupid robot," Mello muttered. "Damn, Matt's acting weird."

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**AN: Get it? NearxRobot FTW! If any of you read Interrogation (which got deleted gr) you'll remember this joke. I always wanted to do something with it. And how could I NOT throw some MxM in there? 3 Review**?


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